Holder for books



May l5, 1951 F. c. ARMSTRONG Erm.

HOLDER FOR BOOKS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March' l5, 1948 May 15, 1951 F. c. ARMSTRONG ETAL 2,552,704

HOLDER FOR BOOKS Filed March l5, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 YUM E C. ARMSTRONG [Nl/[NTORS: EJLU'ERBCH W L/LL //K J. S. POPPER By M2M ATTORNEY M?? 15, 1951 F. c. ARMSTRONG ETAL 2,552,704

HOLDER FOR BOOKS Filed Marchy l5, 1948A 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 WIIIIIIIIIIA 52 w I 52 Y F/G. /3 a2 fffrffzzzx MV1/ENT OPS "flf/Lv//r J. s. POPPER By AHORA/EV Patented May 151, 1951 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE HOLDER FOR BOOKS of New York Application March 15, 1948, Serial No. 14,864

(Cl. 12S-38) i Claims. 1

This invention relates to holders for books and more particularly to book holders of a type in which rod means attached to books are held in spaced bars of a support.

An object ofthe invention is to provide an improved book holder suitable for supporting a plurality of books in position for inspection oi' their contents without removal of the books from the book holder.

A feature of the invention resides in a set of bars constructed and arranged to hold the book rods in required place. One of the bars is comblike in form and another of the bars is slidable relative to the comb-like bar.

Another feature resides in a key-operable lock means for the slide bar.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a View in perspective of the book holder of the invention and shows a book mounted in the book holder;

Fig. 2 is a view, partly in section, of a fragmentary portion of the book holder and with a key shown in dot-dash lines entered in place and is taken on the line 2 2 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 3 is a View in perspective of the key;

Fig. 4 is a top view of the book holder with certain portions broken away to disclose inner parts of the structure;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the book holder;

Fig. 6 is a view, partly in section, of a portion of the book holder and is taken on the line 6-6 in Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a View corresponding to Fig. 6 but 'showing a rod released from a bar portion;

Fig. 8 is a view, partly in section, of a lower bar of the book holder with a rod mounted therein and is taken on the line 8-8 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a view showing in dot-dash lines a portion of a book and in full lines rod means k attached to theV book and mounted in the lower bar of the book holder which is mounted on a board;

Fig. 10 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 but with the slide bar and certain portions removed to more clearly disclose the comb-like bar;

Fig. 11 shows a retaining lug for the comblike bar;

Fig. 12 shows a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 4 and with the key shown in Fig. 3 entered in the bar structure and unlocking the lock Fig. 13 shows the key operated to shift the slide bar to unlocked position; and

Fig. 14 is a front view of the portion of the structure shown in Fig. 13.

The book holder of the present invention provides an improved means suitable for holding a plurality of telephone directories in place for use by the public in finding the telephone call numbers of substations in a telephone system. Rod members provided in the book holder can be attached to books to be supported in the book holder and the rod members can be so mounted in a supporting frame that the books will be retained in place and held against unauthorized removal from the book holder.

As shown in Fig. 1 the book holder I5 comprises a support it that can be secured by means of screws il or other suitable means to a wall I8. The support iii comprises an upper barl I9 and a lower bar 2i? held in parallel spaced relation by spaced strips 2i and 22 shown in Fig. 5. The bars le and Zi are apertured at spaced points to receive rod assemblies 23, each of which can be attached to a bock required to be mounted in the book holder l5.

Each rod assembly 23 comprises a straight rod 2li and a book-attaching rod 25, opposite end portions of the book-attaching rod 25 being angularly bent and formed into eyelet portions 26 and 2l through which the straight rod 24 can extend.

The book-attaching rod 25 is constructed for placement between leaves of a book and so that the eyelet portions 255 and 2l will be outside the book and extending rearwardly beyond the back or the book. In this position the straight rod 2t can be thrust through the eyelet portions 26 and 2l and disposed in parallel spaced relation with the outside surface of the back of the book, end portions 2li and 29 of the straight rod 24 being arranged to extend outwardly through and beyond the respective eyelet portions 2B and 2l of the book-attaching rod 25.

The bar 2G as shown in Fig. 8 is hollow and comprises upper and lower ,spaced walls 3i) and 3l respectively, joined by `a front wall 32 and the rear portion of the upper wall 30 terminates in an angularly extending and apertured ange 33 which is secured by rivets 34 or other suitable means to the strips 2i and 22. The upper wall 3B of the bar 2l) is apertured at spaced points to receive end portions 29 of the straight rods 2li, each aperture being dened by an annular and inwardly extending embossing 35 formed in the upper wall 30. End closures tt, as shown in Fig. 5, are provided at ends of the lower bar 2li to close the ends of the hollow structure, the end closures 3S being secured in place by suitable means such -for instance as welds, not shown, but

.bar 3 1. Y v ,formed in thewcombA-like bar 38 and'so that one .legvof leach, Ur-'shaped aperture 3l extends into one ofthe mainlteeth 48 and the other leg of the straight rod 2li.

3 formed between the end closures 36 and the lower bar 20.

The upper bar I9 as clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is a three-part structure comprising a hollow bar 31,`a comb-like bar 38 and a slide bar 39. The hollow bar 31 comprises upper and lower spaced walls lill and il respectively, joined by a front wall 2 and the rear portion of thedlower wall 4| terminates in an angularly extending and apertured flange 43 which is secured oy rivetsd or other suitable means tothe'strips2l and 22 shown in Fig. 5. Elongated apertures 45. are formed at spaced points in the hollow'bar 31 'to receive end portions 28 of the straight rodsdf.

.which lies againsttheinner surface o f thellower .wall il oi the hollow bar 31 andis held in place Aas shown in Figs. l0 and 11 by lugsll extending from thecomb-like bar 38 and through apertures 4 1 in thewall 4| 1 The coznlo-like bar, 38 as clearly shown in Fig.

10 has main teeth 48 which project from the back portion 43 and toward the inner surface of the front wall 42 of the hollow bar 31. The main teeth 5 8 cooperateto deine openings' E in register with Ythe elongated apertures G5 in thehollow Inverted u -shaped apertures 5l are Ufshaped aperture 51j; exteinis into the next rnain jncfctii"liaY rn' forming "the inverted 'Ushaped aperturesl in the 'cortile-like bar' 38, reentrant `tee'tlrtZ are' producedinthe combllike bar 38.

The reentrant teeth 52 extend toward the' back fpor'tionl of 1thecomb-like bar 33 and two adjacentfrreentrant teeth 'coop'erate to denne a A of two adjacent reentrant teeth 52 and into the basef portion 55V of the inverted U-shaped aperture 5l as shown in Fig. 10. As clearly shown in Fig. 13 two adjacent reentrant teethE are so relatively spaced that an end portion 23 of a straight rod 2Q can be laterally forced between them and the two reentrant teeth 52 will cooperate to closely grip the end portion 28 of the In forcingthe straight rod 24 between the'reentrant teeth 52 some spring action is developed in the'reentrant teeth 52, the v free end portions of the tworeentrant teeth 52 being normally closer together than the diametrical size of the straightrod 2li. The free end portion of each .reentrant tooth 52V has a curved recess 53 formed therein to allow the free end portions of the reentrant teeth 52 Vto cooperate to partially encircle the upper end portion 23of .the straight rod 24 when the straight rod, 221s laterally thrust to its iinal position between the two adjacent reentrant teeth 52.

The slide bar 39 as clearly shown in Figs. 6 and '1 is C-shaped in cross-section and is enclosed in the hollow bar 31. The slide bar 33 is shorter in length than the hollow bar 31 and is disposed lengthwise of and within the hollow bar 31. End closures 51, shown in Fig. 5, are provided at ends of the hollow bar 31 to close the ends of the hollow barv31, the Vend closures 51V beingsecured in place by suitable means such for instance as' welds, not

53 of the 'opening .date a shankfportionl ofy the key ,1.3.

4 shown, but formed between the end closures 51 and the hollow bar 31.

As shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 7 the slide bar 39 has a lower wall arranged to slidably rest on the upper surface of the comb-'like bar '38. The lower .Wall 58 terminates in upwardly extending side walls 59 and Sil which extend lengthwise of the slide bar 32. The side walls 59 and E552 terminate at their upper ends in angularly extending 'iianges Si and 32 respectively, which are arranged to lie l.directly under the inner surface of the `upper 'wall wall 40 of the hollow bar 31.

"'L-'shaped apertures 63 are formed at spaced points in the lowerfwall 58 of the slide bar 3Q and the main ',leg of each L-shaped aperture S3 is z continued into a continuation aperture Sd formed in the wall 53 as shown in Figs. 5 and 7. As shown in Figs. Ll, 12 and 13 the main leg of the L-shaped aperture 63 is in communication with the hori- Zontal leg 55er the L-shaped aperture G3 and the slideb'ar 39 canbehmoved lengthwisef'fr'om y'the shown in Figs.` 13 and leac'h Lshaped aperture 63 is in such position that itsmain leg isin register withanapertu 15in the hollow bar 31.

It will be seen, therefore, that in this position the end portions 28 of the straight rods 2! can be laterally moved into and out of the Yupper bar i9.

It will alsc'be seen that the upper end portions 28 of each straight rod 24 ishgripped by two reentrant teeth 52 on the comb-like bar 323 the function of which is to prevent the straight rods 24 from falling out of the Lipper bar I 9 when the slide bar 39 is insuch position that the main leg portion of an LIshapedV aperture 63 is in register with an aperture 45 in the hollow bar 31.

AH lock isprovided to hold the slide bar 39 against undue sliding from the Vposition shown in Figs. 4 and l2 to the position shown in Fig. 13. The lock comprises aY spring latch nger GB'and a keeperk61. rIhe spring latch finger 65 is a leaf spring type member secured at one end to the slide bar 39 and having an angularly extending end portion 68 arranged `to hook over an end i portion 69 of the keeper 61 when the slide bar 391s in the position shown in Figs. 4 and 12. The keeper 6,1 ischannel-shaped in cross-section and has spaced side walls 1E) and'll cooperatively dening a passageway 12 for accommodation of a lug 13 on a key 14 shownin Fig. 3. The keeper 61 is provided with ilanges 15 which are welded or otherwise secured to the inner surface of the wall 42 of the hollow bar 3 1 and so that thepassageway 12 is in registerv with one leg 15 of an inverted L-shapedl aperture ll'forrnedinthe ijOIltWall 42 of the hollowbar. 31. The other leg 18 of the L-shaped aperture 'Villes4 above the position of the keeper 61 and extends toward an end portion of the hollow bar 31 and is providedto accommo- The leg portion 18Hof the L f'shaped aperture 1l`is longer thanv thewidth of'thej shankfportion 19 of' the ,key lll. The wall 'li of `thekeeper 61'te`rminates at Yits inner end irian angularlvexte'nding"'arm portion so equipped with guidepnte'sr'writh 39, the flange 32 being, in effect, an offset and |broken continuation of the flange 62 and being narrower than the ange 62. A notch 83 is formed in the ange 82 to receive the lug 13 on the key 1li, the notch 83 being considerably wider than the thickness of the lug 13 and being so located that the notch 33 will be in register with the passageway 12 in the keeper 51 when the slide bar 39 is in the position shown in Figs. 4 and 12 and will be out of register with the passageway 12 in the keeper 61 when the slide bar 39 is in the position shown in Fig. 13.

The slide bar 39 can be unlocked from the keeper 61 and can be moved longitudinally in the hollow bar 31 by means of the key 14 which can be thrust endwise into engagement with the latch nger 63 and pressed against the latch finger 36 to flex the latch linger to such extent that the end portion 3S is moved out of hooked engagement with the keeper 81. The key 14 can be thrust further to bring the lug 13 into the notch 83 and then be used as a lever to move the slide bar 33 to the position shown in Fig. 13 and then back to the position shown in Fig. 12. When the slide bar 39 has been moved by means of the key 1li to the position shown in Fig. 13 the key 14 cannot be withdrawn until the slide bar 39 is returned to the position shown in Fig. 12, in which case the key 14 can be withdrawn to allow the spring finger 63 to engage the keeper 61 to hold the slide bar 39 in locked condition.

The book holder' shown in Fig. 1 can hold a plurality oi books in convenient position for ready reference to the books without releasing the books from the book holder. Each book can be mounted in required place by attaching a rod assembly 23 to each book and placing the rod assembly 23 in required position in the support I6 which is secured to the wall i8.

Assuming that it is desired to mount a telephone directory in the book holder and that the key 14 is not in the book holder and the slide bar 39 is in locked condition. In order to mount the telephone directory in the book holder i5 the key 1li must be inserted in the upper bar structure I9 by way of the inverted L.shaped aperture 11 until the key 1li presses the latch linger 3S out of engagement with the keeper 91. With the latch finger 36 pressed out of engagement with the keeper 31 and with the lug 13 in the slot 83 the key 14 can be operated as a lever to the right of the position shown in Fig. 12 to the dot-dash line position shown in Fig. 13. In doing this the slide bar 39 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 13 and so that the slide bar 39 is in such position that the main leg portions of the inverted L-shaped apertures 63 in the slide bar 39 are in register with associated apertures and 50 in the hollow bar 31 and the comb-like bar 38, respectively. In this case the comb-like bar 38 prevents the rod assemblies 23 from falling out of the upper bar is but a rod assembly 23 can be removed from the bars I9 and 23 simply by pulling the upper portion of the rod assembly 23 outwardly from Ibetween the reentrant teeth 52 and through the apertures 59 and 45 and then lifting the rod assembly 23 until the lower end portion 29 is out of the lower bar 2t. The removed rod assembly 23 can be disassembled by withdrawing the straight rod 24 from the book-attaching rod 25. To mount the rod assembly 23 on the book the book is opened and the book-attaching rod 25 is placed between leaves of the book and so that the eyelet portions 26 and 21 extend rear- Wardly of the book 84 as shown in Fig. 9. The

straight rod 2f!l is then placed along the outside of the back of the book 81 and through the eyelet portions 26 and 21 of the book-attaching rod 25.

With the rod assembly 23 attached to the book 33 as shown in Fig. 9 the book can be mounted in place by simply inserting the lower end 29 of the straight rod 2li in an aperture in the upper wall 313 of the lower bar 23 and then laterally thrusting the upper end portion Z8 of the straight rod 24 'through the apertures 5 and 50 of the hollow bar 31 and the comb-like bar 38 until the reentrant teeth 52 snap into gripping engagement with the upper end portion 23 of the straight rod The length of the straight rod 24 and the spacing of the bars I9 and 29 is such that the straight rod 2:1 can be lifted out of the lower bar 29 only when the upper end portion 28 of the straight rod 3d is entirely clear of the upper bar i9. Jillian the book 33 is properly supported in the book holder l5 the slide bar 33 can be moved by means of the key 1li from the position shown in Fig. 13 to the position shown in Fig. l2 to prevent lateral withdrawing of the straight rod 24 from the upper bar structure i9. In the position shown in Fig. is the key lit can be withdrawn :trein engagement with the slide bar 39 and removed from the book holder lli since the lug 'it on the key ifi is in register with the passage- 12 in the keeper Cil. When the key 'M is withdrawn from the slide bar 39 the spring latch 3S under its own spring tension moves into engagement with the keeper 31 and so that the angularly extending end portion 33 of the spring latch :Finger 355 'cornes into hooked-over engagement with the edge portion 69 of the keeper 61 as shown in i. In this position any straight rod 2li properly mounted in place in the support i3 is lock-ed by means of the slide bar 33 against removal from the support I3.

When a book 34 is locked in the book holder and it is desired to remove the book the slide bar 33 must be moved to the position shown in Fig. 13. This can be done by inserting the key 14 in the book holder l5 until the spring latch nnger @t is pressed out of engagement with the keeper 3l and the lug 13 is in the slot 33 and then using the key 11i as a lever to move the slide bar 33 lengthwise to the position shown in Fig. 13. In this position the upper end of the straight rod 212i can be pulled laterally from between the reentrant teeth 52 and through the aperture in the hollow bar 31 until the upper end of the straight rod 24 is clear of the bar structure E3. The straight rod 24E can then be lifted out oi' the lower bar E9 until the rod assembly 13 on the book 34 is released from the support ld. The rod assembly 23 can be released from the book 33 by withdrawing the straight rod 23 from the bookattaohing rod 25 which can then he withdrawn from between pages of the book 83.

What is claimed is:

1. A book holder apparatus comprising a rod to be attached to a book, a support, an apertured bar secured in said support and constructed and arranged to receive one end portion of said rod, an apertured hollow bar secured in said support and in parallel spaced relation with said apertured bar and constructed and arranged so that an opposite end portion oi said rod can be laterally moved into said apertured hollow bar, a comb-like bar secured in said apertured hollow bar and having teeth to cooperatively grip an end portion of said rod, the space between the teeth in said comb-like bar being in register with 'an aperture in said hollow bar, a slide bar movably feast avea s" ported ins'aid ape1"^i','ur-':`5d"V hollow barfsaidslide bar *having an angular shaped aperture formed therein,- one; portionA of which can -be'brought into yandoutI of register ywith an aperture in said hollow'barby movement of said slide bar and another Aportion of Vthe angular shaped aperture being arranged'to receive an end portion of said rod when said slide bar is moved in one direction, lock means to hold said slide bar in oneposition and key means insertable in said hollow bar and into Aengagementwith saidV lock means and said slide bbar'and operable as a `means to unlock said lock means and slidably move said slide bar.

A `vbook holder Aapparatus comprising two bars supported in parallel spaced relation, oneolc said bars "having apertures rformed therein-at spaced points,v the other of said bars' being a hollow barand'having elongated apertures formed -theie'in'at'spa'c'ed points and extending through an ter edge of the hollow bar, inner ends of the elongated apertures in the hollow bar being in register with the apertures in the' niet-mentioned barjrod assemblies extending between and into said two bars-and constructed to be attached to books, an end portion of each rod assembly being laterally thrustable into an elongated aperture in said hollow bar, a comb-like bar-supported in said hollow bar and having its teeth arranged to closely grip end portions of said rod assemblies when said rod assemblies are mounted in place,

a slide bar movably supported in said hollow bar and' operable to slide lengthwise in said hollow said hollow bar and `said comb-like bar, loci: means to holdy said slide bar in position to `prevent removal of said rod assemblies' and a key insertable in said hollow bar and into engagement with'said lock means to release said look means from holding said slide bar, said key beingalso operable asa lever to move said slide bar when said'locl means is operated to release said slide bar for movement.

3. A book holder apparatus comprising rod assemblies te be attached to books, a frame to support said rod assemblies, upper and lower hollow bars on said frame and having spaced apertures formed therein into Vwhich end portions of said.

rod assemblies can be laterally thrust, a-comblike bar secured in said upper hollow bar and having its teeth constructed and arranged to grip end portions of said rod assemblies entered in said hollow bar, a slide bar supportedfor lengthwise movement in said upper hollow bar and hav- 8 .'ing.y I f'f-sliap'ed apertures formed therein-atf-spaced pointsto "accomm'odate f end .portions votisaid. rod assemblies, the main leg portions 'of Vthe 'I i.- shapedap'erturesbeing operable to reeeiveiend portions "of said rod "assemblies "when saidl slide barfisfin one position,'thefother leg portions of theI L-shaped apertures being' operableto receive fend portions `of said'rodiiassemblies when said slideibarlis moved to another position, saidlslide bar being operable-in one position to permit insertion'"orawithdrawal of said rod assemblies in said frame and being operable inanother p'osition ytoi4 prevent withdrawal of said rodtassen'iblies from f'said` upper comb-like bar-and'saidhollow bar'an'd key-operableiock means Yto releasably hold said slide'bar in: position in'saidupper `bar to'prevent withdrawal of said rod assemblies from fsaidfupper-'and'lower hollow` bars onsaid frame.

4. A book holderfapparatus comprising rodassemblies' toy be attached to'books, a frame to "support^said` rod lassen'iblies*upper land lower aper- Ytiired hollow"barsfinf-said frame constructedV and arranged' to; permit lateral insertion of endfportions of rod-assemblies in said frame, a comblike "bar- Vsecured in said upperA hollow bar,Y reentrant teeth in said comb-like bar to gripY end 'portions oir said rod assemblies, a slide bar movably supported in said `upper apertured hollow bar :and having'L-shaped" apertures formed therein to receive end Aportions of said rod assemblies,

said Vslide bar being operablev in -one position to -hold said rod assemblies from removal from said trame andbeing' operable in another position to -permit removal ofV said' rodv assembliesfa spring 'latch nger secured `to i said slide bar, af keeper lfor saidspring latch ingerlsecured to said hol- View barf--saidispring latch finger being operable toengage said 'keeper to hold-said slide-'bar against movementV to a releasing position for said .rod assembliesandfkev means linsertable in said keeper-.and into engagement with said yspring latch finger to release said spring ,latchV ringer `from-said keeper and also voperable as va 'lever to `engage and-move-said slide bar lengthwise in said upper hollow bar.

.FRANK C. ARMSTRONG.

FREDERICK J. LA-IERBACI WALTER .LILLVHQ `-JULIUS S.. POPPER.

REFERENCES CITED Thev following reierences'are of record in the -11e of this patent:

A UNITED lSTATES- PATENTS Name "Date 1,820,736 Gaylord Augf25, 1931 V.1,842,496 e`Wagner i Jam-26, 1932 V2,016,588 Bloore et al. ,:Oct. 8, 1935 2,271,734 Dunham lLT'eb.V 3, 1942 

